PA Justice Minister, representing PA PM, on US and Israeli demands that PA stop terrorists’ salaries: “We will not abandon the families of the Martyrs and the prisoners of freedom"

Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
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Apr. 10, 2018

Headline: “Abu Diyak: We will not bargain over our Martyrs’ blood and will not exchange our promise and loyalty to them for all the money in the world”
“[PA] Minister of Justice Ali Abu Diyak said yesterday [April 9, 2018]: ‘We will not bargain over our Martyrs’ (Shahids') blood and will not exchange the promise and loyalty to the Martyrs for all the money in the world. We will remain committed to the promise to the Martyrs of freedom and to the victims of the Israeli terror crimes. We will not backtrack on the path of the struggle with all of the legitimate means until realizing our Martyrs’ dream and our people’s aspirations – freedom, independence, the end of the occupation, and the establishment of the independent Palestinian state whose capital is Jerusalem.’
This was said in his speech as the representative of His Honor [PA] Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah at the opening of the National Association of the Families of the Martyrs [of Palestine’s] fifth general conference.
He said: ‘We will not abandon the families of the Martyrs and the prisoners of freedom. The government, led by [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, will continue to fulfill its national, moral, and human obligation towards the Martyrs’ families. This is despite all the pressures exerted by the government of Israel, and despite its threats to rob and deduct the allowances (mukhassasat) of the Martyrs’ families and the prisoners from our [tax] money [collected by Israel], with the support of the American Congress that demanded to stop the allowances to the Martyrs’ families and prisoners in exchange for the continued transfer of the American aid to institutions of the Palestinian state (refers to the Taylor Force Act; see note below –Ed.).’ He added: ‘We greatly appreciate all of the patriotic efforts of the National Association of the Families of the Martyrs [of Palestine], and we will continue to work together with you with all of the national integrity and responsibility in order to provide all the needs of the Martyrs' families, and in order to improve the services provided to them in a manner befitting the sacrifices made by Palestine’s Martyrs.’
Abu Diyak blessed the brave prisoners and Martyrs of the great prisoners’ movement, who number more than 214 Martyrs, the last of whom was Martyr Muhammad Anbar (see note below –Ed.), in addition to the Martyrs who are still being held in the occupation’s numbered cemeteries (i.e., Israeli cemeteries for temporary burial of terrorists).”

Bill to deduct terror salaries from PA tax money - On Feb. 18, 2018, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill proposed by the Israeli Ministry of Defense that would deduct the amount of money the PA pays imprisoned terrorists and families of "Martyrs" from the tax money Israel collects for the PA. The bill would enable the deducted money to be used for infrastructure benefitting all West Bank residents, compensation awarded to terror victims in lawsuits against the PA or individual terrorists, and projects aimed at eliminating terror.

The Taylor Force Act - a bill named after US citizen Taylor Force who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Tel Aviv on March 8, 2016, which calls to cut almost all funding to the PA if it continues paying salaries to terrorists and allowances to families of "Martyrs." On March 23, 2018, the bill was approved by the American Congress and signed into law by US President Donald Trump.

Muhammad Anbar – 55-year-old Palestinian who suddenly ran at Israeli security guards at a checkpoint near Tulkarem on March 2, 2018. An Israeli security guard shot Anbar in the hip and he later died of his wounds. No weapons were found on Anbar.

The Cemeteries for Enemy Casualties (numbered cemeteries) are two burial sites maintained by the Israeli army for burying the bodies of enemy soldiers during wartime as well as terrorists. They are fenced and well-marked. Graves have markers instead of gravestones. Burial is temporary, as the bodies are eventually returned to their countries of origin. No ceremony is held. The bodies are buried in numbered caskets after their identities are documented.